Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Staff Holiday Gift Picks: Cat & Emily

Here is part three of our staff holiday gift picks. Cat and Emily are here to share some of their favorite things with you. Feel free to forward this along to the person who doesn't know what to get you this year!

Hi! My name is Cat. I work and teach Crochet 101, Tunisian Crochet and Pjoning at Fancy Tiger Crafts or the Fancy Tiger Land of Wonderment and Joy, as I like to refer to it. I am a crochet fiend and I recently learned to sew so I have also been making some clothing items and a few quilts.

Malabrigo Rios Superwash Merino $14Abalone Crochet Hook $15

I am completely obsessed with the Malabrigo Rios yarn that we just began carrying a couple of weeks ago. I bought it on a whim right before teaching a crochet class and by the end of the class I was madly in love! I went home and made a hat and matching neck warmer that very night! It's soft and spongy and wonderful to work with. The colorways are so beautiful that it's almost impossible to chose one--although, my current favorite is "Piedras" (pictured above).

The abalone hook is the tool of my other current obsession, Pjoning or "Bosnian" Crochet. This hook makes stitching fast and easy. It feels so nice in your hand that you won't want to put it down, although it's beauty may distract you from your craft! This hook with this yarn is a match made in heaven!

Ink & Spindle Fat Quarter Bundle $35

These cute little bundles of hand-printed fabric goodness are a perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who sews and even for those who don't, but appreciate art of any kind. The fabric and printing process are produced in ethical and sustainable processes by two amazing Australian women. These fabrics are great for quilting or framing or anything else you may do with two pieces of 18.5" x 18.5 " fabric.

The Gentle Art of Domesticity $35

This book literally changed my life. I walked into Fancy Tiger a couple of years ago and there it was on the front table. Until I read Jane Brocket's gentle words of encouragement and inspiration I never felt that I could do crafting of any kind. It may sound silly to you lifelong crafters, but I was tied down by chains of perfectionism and that nasty little "you can't do that" voice. After reading this book I wanted to (and did) begin to make beautiful, hand-crafted items of my own and I'll never look back. I recommend this book to both new crafters or any kind and those of you who have been knitting/sewing/whatever for your entire life. It's well written and you'll want to look at the photos over and over again.

As some of you know, I recently acquired a new family member and my first fiber animal, Victoria. She is an English Angora Rabbit, and is totally in love with Branwyn, our shop dog. This little ball of cuteness makes the softest fiber ever! And now we have Angora yarn! Although it isn't from Victoria, it is super soft and hand dyed in the most gorgeous colorways. I think I will make a triangle shawl with this one...

I have been watching so many beautiful Schoolhouse Tunics coming out of our Schoolhouse Tunic class! Great job, ladies! Now, I think it's time to make one of my own. I knew when I opened the shipment of these Memoire A Paris Japanese Lawns that at least one of them had to be mine. But which one? This pattern looks so great on every body I have seen them on, it would be a great gift for the lady sewist.

Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques $26.95

I don't know if you guys know just how much I love wool and silk. I love wool and silk! But with finer fabrics, finishing those edges can be tricky. This book has so many tips for working with trickier fabrics, but can be used in almost any application. There are so many gorgeous techniques well photographed in this volume. This would make a wonderful gift for a sewist ready to make their garments look amazing on the inside, too.